He kept his promise…On his first day on the job Bill Mosiello said he would scour the state, and the country, for the talent necessary to make Ohio State baseball relevant, nationally. We’re about to see the first returns. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
The conclusion of our ‘Meet The Team’ series includes some more freshman recruits in 2024, along with those already a year committed to seeing their time as a Buckeye become manifest.
Columbus, OH – One thing you have to get accustomed to in college baseball is the revolving door. Players come and go, and there’s always the process of recruiting, and bringing in new talent to facilitate the never-ending upgrade to the program.
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In that respect, 2024 promises to be an enlightening year, as Bill Mosiello and staff have brought in no fewer than 20 new faces to Bill Davis Stadium through freshman recruits, transfers…and perhaps most importantly, those players carried over from 2022 that showed promise and just need time.
Is it enough? Well, baby steps, of course. Rome wasn’t built in a day. But the athletic depth of this year’s team is what might impress you, first – ‘kids’ that can play now, and kids that can develop to push for more, and significant, time later on. Bottom line: This is only the start. The idea is to get better.
Our final installment of ‘Meet The Team’ pays respect to the youthful remainder of the 2024 Buckeyes baseball roster. And what remains to be seen…who can serve the present, and who will become the future?
Freshman outfielder/catcher, Isaac Cadena…The Buckeyes were excited about the versatility of Isaac Cadena when he signed as a player who both catch and play the outfield…and whose high school credentials prove that he’s accomplished at both.
A graduate of El Dorado High School, in Placentia, California (Anaheim), he won three varsity letters and finished high school with a .373 career batting average.
Additionally, he was named conference Offensive Player of The Year, and team MVP.
Nationally, he was ranked in the top 500 best prospects, and the top 50 catchers in California.
Freshman pitcher, Chase Herrell…Chase Herrell was a name you heard for the past two high school seasons as a Division I Ohio high school prospect in southwest Ohio. It was just a matter of where he would play.
As it turns out, he chose the Buckeyes, and he’s one of those developmental arms that could come along sooner, rather than later. The fastball touches 92, and coming out of Cincinnati, a stronghold for prep OHSAA prep baseball, his senior stats bear consideration. He struck out 69 hitters in 50.2 innings, and he held opposing teams to a 0.96 earned run average.
Was named to the Cincinnati All-Conference team three times, playing out of Midland High School, and is another graduate of the Midland Summer Baseball program, where he helped pitch his team to the 2022 Connie Mack World Series title.
In 2023 he was a Connie Mack All-Tournament team selection.
Sophomore catcher Alonzo Paul, Jr….Serving exclusively as the Buckeyes’ backup catcher last year, Paul is a graduate of Andrean High School in Valparaiso, Indiana.
A fine multi-sport athlete at Andrean, he batted .430 with a .602 on-base percentage and had 37 hits, 51 runs scored, and 22 stolen bases as a senior.
In addition, he played on both the state championship team in baseball and football his senior season, receiving honors as an all-state wide receiver.
Alonzo Paul was an Ohio State Scholar Athlete in 2023.
Freshman pitcher, Zak Sigman…A righthander out of Grove City, Ohio, where he played in the highly-respected Grove City High School program for coach Ryan Alexander.
As a senior in 2023 he struck out 69 hitters on his way to a 6-3 record in the competitive Ohio Capital Conference…pitched 59.2 innings and compiled a 1.87 earned run average.
A three-year letter winner at Grove City, his teams won the OCC Championships three times, won two district championships, one regional championship, and were state championship runners-up in 2022.
Sigman is another developmental arm that could pay dividends early, as he’s proven to be a strike thrower in the past while playing at a high level of prep school baseball.
Junior pitcher, Noah Williamson…From Port Matilda, Pennsylvania, and a transfer from Allegany College, in Cumberland, Maryland, his previous experience perhaps reflects as promise as any of the first-year pitchers on the ’24 roster.
In 2022, Williamson was a JUCO First Team All-American, a First Team All-Region, and a First Team All-Conference selection.
Durable on the mound, he led the country in complete games (eight) in 2022, and had the fifth-best ERA (1.66) in the country among JUCO pitchers. During his two years at Allegany, he logged 146 innings on the mound…and struck out 146 batters.
He pitched 14 complete games in his JUCO career, and finished with an earned run average of 3.26.
Freshman outfielder, Max Pilinski…The short description of this Cleveland area recruit (Gates Mill) is that he’s 6’1″, 210 pounds, a lefthanded hitter that hits with notable power.
Out of Cleveland St. Ignatius, Pilinski was a first team Division I All-Stater his senior year, and his internet home run videos are fun to watch.
Two-sport standout at Ignatius, where he played linebacker in football and his coaches there say he carries a lot of that competitive personality with him to baseball.
Skilled, he could loom as a significant developmental talent in the outfield. But like so many in this year’s recruiting class, time is on his side.
Senior catcher, Mason Sawyer…From nearby Canal Winchester, Mason Sawyer provides valuable catching backup for the Buckeyes, despite not having played in 2023.
Played his high school baseball at Columbus Bishop Hartley, before moving on to University of the Cumberlands.
From there he transferred to Heartland Junior College where he played the 2022 season, and helped the Hawks to an NJCAA DII World Series berth.
Impressively, he played in 33 games at Cumberland, batting .372 with 32 hits, including 14 doubles, two home runs, 23 runs scored and 26 RBIs.
Freshman pitcher, Ben Schecterman…It seems you never have enough lefthanded pitching, and if that’s true then Ben Schecterman has an opportunity to make a case for himself.
Out of Aurora High School, Schecterman put up impressive high school numbers, where he lettered all four years and recorded 123 strikeouts in 80.0 innings pitched with an ERA of 1.75.
An all-around athlete, he hit .410 during that time, with 59 RBIs, and helped Aurora High School to the Suburban League title in 2021 and ’23. Was named the 2023 Suburban League Player of the Year, and also earned Northeast Ohio Baseball Coaches Association D1 All-District First Team…and Prep Baseball Report All-State Second Team honors.
Junior infielder, Will Henson…A player with veteran’s experience from Rend Lake College (JC).
Henson put up good numbers last year in Junior College, batting .384 with 9 homers, 38 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases.
Played his freshman year at Lindenwood University, in St. Charles, Missouri.
Played high school baseball at Lane Tech College Prep (Chicago), where he was an impressive middle infielder. Played shortstop, and played it well, at Rend Lake.
Freshman pitcher, Isaiah Leeth…Leeth is from nearby Chillicothe, Ohio (Unioto HS) where he lettered all four years of high school baseball, and pitched to a cumulative earned run average of under 1.00!
Was ranked as a PBR First Team All-State selection and a Perfect Game Preseason All-American.
As a position player at Unioto, he finished four years with a batting average of .380.
Freshman pitcher, Christian Pownall…A lefthander out of Indiana (Russiaville), Pownall recorded 151 strikeouts in 90 innings over four season while limited teams to a 1.63 earned run average.
Set a school record at Western High School by striking out 18 hitters in a single game.
Pitched his high school team to a sectional and conference championship, and was named to the Indiana All-Star team.
Struck out 16 and pitched a complete game two-hitter in the sectional title game against Twin Lakes High School.
Freshman pitcher, Andrew Edrington…Out of Princeton High School, in suburban Cincinnati, Edrington was a four-year letter winner for the Vikings, and a former Greater Metro Conference Player of the Year…and Southwest Ohio Player of The Year.
He holds the single game, single season, and career records for strikeouts (202) at Princeton.
Over a four-year career at Princeton he hit .390 as a position player.
Played summer baseball at Midland and won a Connie Mack World Series.
Prior to signing with Ohio State, he was a Clemson University commit in 2021.
Sophomore pitcher, Blaine Wynk…A graduate of Miamisburg High School, Wynk played his freshman season in 2023 at Findlay University.
He appeared in 11 games for the Oilers, compiling a 6-3 record and tossing two complete games. Struck out 52 in 57.2 innings and finished with a 4.53 earned run average.
Prior to Findlay Wynk was named Greater Western Ohio Conference Player of the Year, and received first team All-Ohio honors.
At 6’3″ and 195 pounds, Wynk made an impressive, competitive debut in fall baseball.
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